Packaging surgical dressings



Oct. 15, 1935. A. A. RQHLFING 2,017,319

PACKAGING SURGICAL DRESSING S Filed 001;. 6, 1934 findrew fi, Fab/19177 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PACKAGING SURGICAL DRESSINGS 7 Andrew A. Rohlfing, Bound Brook, N. .L, assignor .to Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N. J.,

a. corporation of New Jersey Application October 6, 1934; Serial No. 747,226 2 Claims. (01. 229-47) It is more or less conventional practice. to enclose goods or commodities directly or in package form in a protecting wrapper 'formed of sheeted regenerated cellulose, glassine or other substantially transparent material.

It is desirable, and it is the problem of the instant case, to employ such a protective wrapper in connection with surgical goods and particularly single units in the form of first-aid dressings of the type in which a strip of adhesive material carries medially thereof a soft absorbent pad or compress. Such dressings are prepared and packed under aseptic environment conditions and it is essential that they reach the consumer and be applied in a clean and sterile state, which means that there must be no promiscuous handling of the dressing such as is calculated to occur under attempts to remove the conventional wrapper, the problem being accentuated by the non-rigid character of the dressing and the fact that it oflfers no resistance to strain applied to the wrapper.

I It is the object of the present invention to provide for the individual-wrapping of bandage units so that they will be kept clean and sterile and so that, when the bandage is required for use, the wrapper may be opened to admit of removal of the bandage without the hazard or necessity of direct handling of or distortion of the bandage in the act of breaking the wrapper.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention more readily will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, wherein: 1

Figure 1 is a plan view of a first-aid dressing having a protective wrapper embodying the improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an example of afirstaid unit, which it is desirable to protect.

Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof. Fig. '4 is a plan view of the wrapper. As premised, the invention concerns the protective wrapping of pliant or distortionable goods, 5 such as, for example, first-aid dressings, designated as a whole, as 5, and embodying a strip of adhesive tape carrying medially thereof a soft absorbent pad or compress. been the practice to put them up individually in 50 .waxed envelopes, the flap of which was left free to admit of easy access to the dressing. It is desirable to dispense with that practice and to completely seal the goods, but to do it in such way as will obviate the necessity of mutilating or 55 distorting the goods in the act of opening the wraplm'.

Heretofore, it has In the advancement of that idea the invention provides a'wrapper generally designated 6,- and which is of such dimensions that'when folded it will completely shroud or envelope the goods and in a fairly snug way. The wrapper is a generally 6 rectangular strip, preferably formed of cellulosic materials more orless transparent. There are end tabs I and 8 and side flaps 9 and I0. Flap I0 atone end is formed out of symmetrical by an angular and somewhat inwardly curved cut 10 which, together with a notched area ll, results in a tongue l2. The tab- 8 is formed on that side furthest removed from the flap ill with an inwardly curved or notched area l3 for a-purpose hereinafter referred to. It may here be rbmarked 15 that the wrapper is cut from stock in such way that the grain-of the material follows the direc' tion of the arrow.

In practice, the goods, for example, the dressing 5, is laid on the wrapper whereupon the side 20 flaps and the end tabs are folded and secured soas completely to enclose and aseptically seal the commodity. In this state the notch l3 of the end tab 8 cooperates with a notch Il -of flap ill to leave the tongue l2 free and accessible as a rip 25 member which may be availed of by pull in the direction of the arrow to tear and remove the immediately adjacent end of the wrapper in its entiretyythereby exposing a substantial portion of the'goods so that it-may be withdrawn by a 30 straight pull and without distortion of any kind.

'Havin'g described the invention, I claim:

4 1. A first-aid dressing and means for keeping it clean and'sterile comprising an enveloping wrapper of transparent cellulo'sic material, said 5 wrapper comprising a body portion having side flaps and end tabs constructed and arranged to be folded over the body portion in aseptic sealing relation, the lapping side flap and its securing end tab having cooperating notched portions .es- 40 tablishing a tongue free to be availed of to divide the wrapper along the transverse line initiated by one of thenotches.

2'. A wrapper of the class described, comprising an elongated strip of transparent material having side flaps and end tabs and having the grain at right angles to the end tabs, one of the side flaps having one end bias cut and notched to define a' tongue, and the adjacentend tab having a complemental notch to cooperate'with said tongue ,to permit the latter to function as a tearing strip forremoving one end of the wrapper so as-to" admit of direct withdrawal of the goods.

' A.-ROHLFING.' 

